Crabtree Hall is believed to be coordinating the overall design project, which involves a number of design groups, as well as designing certain elements of the store itself. The consultancy was unavailable for comment.

Other designers working on the Tesco store are understood to include RPA Europe, which is developing the 3D signs it had already created for Tesco for use in a larger format store. The signs were first unveiled last month in Tesco’s Sheffield store (DW 17 January).

Tesco has declined to comment on the appointment of designers. The retailer has remained secretive about the store, an extension of an existing unit, since rumours about its first hypermarket surfaced last year.

A spokesman has also declined to confirm what name the store will trade under, and says Tesco does not regard it as a hyper market, but as an extended standard supermarket.